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Atheism is a religion just like bald is a hair style. Religion pre-supposes that there is something greater than mankind and that greater entity (a deity or god) created mankind. Therefore mankind worships their version of that deity. Atheism, on the other hand, says that there are no deities. It depends on what part of the world you live in and were raised in, as to what deity you believe in. Education along the lines of whether or not any of this makes any sense is very important as to whether you remain "religious" or not.

I'm a former lay preacher in a fundamentalist faith and I can tell you that 9/11 was a religious event also. As it happened, it was not the religion of most people in the USA. Even so, some people have written letters to newspapers claiming that our religion is "the true religion because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." We had better wake up before we kill ourselves.

It's all sort of like someone laughing at those who believe in Santa Clause because they believe in the Easter Bunny. Maybe we could get more out of it all if we would just bring Thor back.

Two Cult Survivor had written here on A|N, "It's not. But it is. But it's not." It is in the sense that if people expect freedom of religion, then not following any religion is itself a choice deserving of equal respect and noncoercion.

"When a theist claims atheism is a religion, the appropriate response ... is to say 'You do not want me forcing my religion on you or your children, and I do not want you forcing your religion on me or mine.'"

I'd agree, but also say that atheism (even with a small "a") is a position of stating that gods don't exist (as opposed to much more relativistic agnosticism). This, like agnosticism, is not an absolute position, since most thinking people believe that absolutes (probably) don't exist in nature. It is a summation of experience suggesting that gods are so highly unlikely that we may as well act as if they don't exist, just as we act as though unicorns don't exist. Are gods possible? Well, anything is possible, but that some things are more likely than others is the whole course of knowledge.

This self righteous ninny, otherwise known as an old school marm, is beginning to become desensitized!

Plus, you are correct, it does feel good to crank out an expletive or two, especially when writing and talking about religion and politics. When I do, the feeling of Grandma Denoo sitting on my shoulder with her stern Puritan ethic echos through my head.